Blog
Insights on patents, trademarks, and design protection
PCT national phase deadlines — which country, by when (Korean only)
The default PCT national phase deadline is 30 months from the earliest priority date, with 31 months at the EPO, Australia and India, late entry available in China, Canada and Singapore, and no PCT route at all into Taiwan or Hong Kong. Full text in Korean.
The PCT search report, the written opinion, and Article 19 — what they are and whether you must act
After filing a PCT application you receive a search report and a written opinion. An Article 19 amendment is a right, not an obligation. What arrives when, what you may do by when, and how it carries over into the Korean national phase — grounded in the Treaty, the Regulations and the Korean Patent Act.
South Africa Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for South African patent renewal fees: the first renewal anchored to the later of sealing or the third anniversary of filing, the separate accrual deadline for PCT cases, a fee scale that is not monotonic — later years can cost less — and the fact that a foreign firm can pay directly.
Vietnam Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Vietnamese patent annuities: payable only after registration, priced per independent claim, and with no restoration mechanism, so the six-month grace period is the last line of defence.
Philippines Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Philippine patent annuities. Uniquely, the anchor is the publication date; fees are charged while the application is still pending; and non-payment is treated as withdrawal of the application. There is no restoration, so the six-month grace period is all there is.
Israel Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Israeli patent renewal fees: not annual instalments but five renewal blocks, the first falling three months after grant and covering the period accrued while pending, with an option to prepay the entire term that removes every later deadline.
Egypt Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Egyptian patent annuities: payable from the second year while examination is still pending, a grace period counted from the office notice, and a substantial fee increase in October 2025 whose current amounts have not been confirmed.
Brazil Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Brazilian patent annuities: the numbering trap where the third annuity is anchored to the second anniversary of filing, the split between the ordinary and extended payment windows, the doubling of the fee with no reduction available in the extended window, and the dismissal of the application if payment is missed while examination is pending.
Singapore Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Singapore patent renewal fees: the 5th-year fee falling due at the 4th anniversary of filing, the late-grant rule requiring accrued fees within three months of grant, a grace surcharge that differs in the first month, restoration within 18 months of lapse, and the dedicated rate for patents with an extended term.
Canada Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Canadian patent maintenance fees: annual payments from the 2nd anniversary of filing, a grace structure you cannot rely on office notices for, restoration on a due-care standard with a low success rate, third-party rights that arise automatically six months after the due date, the once-and-for-all small entity determination, and the CSP, which carries no maintenance fees.
Australia Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for Australian patent renewal fees: a single axis running from the 4th to the 19th anniversary of filing regardless of grant, a grace period accruing at AUD 100 per month, an unusually generous extension of time with no absolute cut-off, and the steeply priced 20th-24th anniversary band that appears when a pharmaceutical term extension is granted.
Taiwan Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A practice manual for managing Taiwan (TW) patent annuities. It covers Taiwan's distinctive calculation rules — the publication date as the anchor and the deadline falling on the "day before the anniversary" — together with the 20% per-month grace surcharge, restoration (1 year, triple payment), fixed-amount reductions and advance payment, arranged in the order of actual practice.
Thailand Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A patent annuity management manual for Thailand (TH). It covers deadline calculation for the 5th to 20th years counted from the filing date, the 120-day grace period with a 30% surcharge, the practical absence of a restoration system, the lump-sum prepayment option (THB 140,000), and a management checklist.
Saudi Arabia Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A country-specific management manual covering Saudi Arabian patent annuities: the calendar-year anchor, the 1/1–3/31 payment window, the 4/1–6/30 grace period (double fee), and the absence of any restoration system.
Russia Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A management manual organizing Russian (RU) patent annuities under the five-year block lump-sum model introduced on 2024-10-05. It covers deadline calculation from the filing date with worked examples, official fees per block, the restoration system and prior-user rights, and a payment-cycle checklist addressing sanctions and remittance risks.
Malaysia Patent Annuities: Management Manual
A manual for managing Malaysian (MY) patent annuities. It covers deadline calculation from the registration date, payment starting from the 2nd year, the 6-month grace period and surcharge, reinstatement within 12 months after lapse, official fees, and a docketing checklist.